Desert of Dragons
by Cestenial
Summary: Based off of the idea of Dragon Jousters, this takes place in a harsh desert environment where a young Altair is taken in by a strange man and taught the ways of their culture, their creatures, and how to defend himself.
1. Chapter 1

My newest story! Based off of the book Joust by Mercedes Lackey, but I'll be taking the storyline in a different direction. I love the universe, though. I'll try to include many characters in this AU, but the main character is Altair.

Also note: "Okwaho" is pronounced "Oh-gwa-ho" and means "wolf" in Mohawk, to my knowledge.

I hope you enjoy this! Reviews would be appreciated! (You can also point out grammatical errors or misspellings if you'd like - it'd help a lot.)

* * *

Altair knew that being a slave was difficult work, but he had it easier than most. He lived in a small home on a rich man's land, protected from the harsh winds of the desert surrounding them. The land sat upon an oasis-like area, providing water for the plants and trees growing near the large mansion-like home. As Altair looked outside of his small shack, he sighed and realised just how _lonesome_ he was. There were no other slaves aside from him at the current point, and being a thirteen year old boy with no friends aside from the fiery winds of the expanding sands and the sun that made him sweat endlessly was difficult.

Suddenly his name was called, and Altair shot up. The man who owned the land could be very angry when his orders weren't followed directly, and Altair had no plans of making him upset. As Altair approached the man, he hung his head, knowing what was coming. "Yes, Al Mualim?" He muttered, kicking the sand with his bare foot.

The elder man stared down at Altair for a long moment, then leaned down slowly. "Did you steal part of the season's harvest?"  
Altair shook his head. "No, sir." And it was true - Altair never stole anything that didn't belong to him.

However, this didn't seem to please the man - Al Mualim - and he reached down, grabbing Altair's shoulders and shaking. "I know you stole something, the profit this season has gone down from last year! I haven't made enough!"  
Altair winced, attempting to hold his ground. "I promise, sir, I never stole a thing!"

After a long moment of silence between the two figures, the man let go of Altair and walked away, shouting, "If my profits don't go up, I'll be leaving you on the streets, just like where I found you!"

After Al Mualim was a distance away, Altair started on a sprint into the sands - he knew that there may be a sandstorm on the way, but he couldn't help himself - he needed to _run_.

The sands burned Altair's feet as he rushed through them, getting the dust all the way up his legs and onto his plain slave uniform - shorts down to his knees and a scratchy tunic - and he knew he'd have to undress and shake them out later, but the current moment was full of the energy and the rush of the run.

He ran and ran until he felt his legs would fall off, until the mansion was as small as a pebble between his fingers - and then Altair stopped and collapsed into the sands, rolling onto his back. His chest heaved with the breath he needed to recollect, and he stared up at the skies. Blue, blue, blue, as far as his eyes could see. He turned his head, searching the horizon. The only other thing he could see aside from the sands was a large structure - he'd never been there. He was told by Al Mualim that beasts lived there, ones that could reach over and snap his head off his shoulders if they wished, and upon their backs rode men with javelins and swords, ready for battle.

Altair was always curious about that place - he wanted to know what the beasts looked like, and if they truly were as savage as he was told?

He closed his golden eyes, taking a deep breath. The sand around him had settled, and a soft breeze ruffled his hair as he lay. He was tired, now.

Altair knew it was bad to fall asleep in the desert - fatal to do so, even - but the thought was so compelling...

And then he heard a scream. It wasn't a human scream, but something along the lines of a shriek, high-pitched, yet deep and throaty. His eyes shot open and he looked around for the source of the sound, leaning up onto his elbows. He saw nobody - and then a shadow passed overhead, and he saw it: a flying beast of many colors, its scaly wings outstretched to be the size of the shack he called home, the sun reflecting upon the scales of the creature to show the iridescent, rainbow coloration.

Upon its back rode a man of twenty or thirty years, shirtless and with a sword strapped to his belt. He yelled something in a foreign tongue, and the beast upon which he rode descended to the ground several feet away from Altair, who covered his face from the sand.

The man upon the beast's back looked at Altair, but the boy was focused on the creature - it had a long, serpentine neck and an elongated mouth, its tounge flicking in and out every few seconds, tasting the air. Its scales were several colors at once, and its body was bulky and heavy. Its feet, however, were large enough to be able to hold itself upon the sands and not sink, yet they ended in sharp, razor-like claws.  
Its tail wound around its legs as the rider commanded it to lay, and the beast let out a long yawn and rest its long neck against the ground.

The man stepped down from his saddle, his hand on his sword.

He stood taller than Al Mualim ever had compared to Altair, and his skin was a darker shade. His hair was pitch black, as were his eyes. His hair was long and braided to the side, pulled over one shoulder. He adjusted the weapon strap on his chest, stepping forward to look Altair over.

"You look frightened, young one. Come," His voice was heavily accented in a way Altair couldn't place, "I have been needing someone to assist me. You want to get away from this life, no?"  
Altair nodded slowly, standing once again. He brushed the sand off of his legs and made his way closer to the man, who showed Altair to the beast. It lifted its multicolored head and stuck its tounge out several times, tasting the air again.

Altair shrunk back, but the man pushed him forward with one hand. "This is _Okwaho_," He explained, "And my name is _Ratohnhaké:ton_."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two! I'm having fun with this fic. c:

I get to use my nerdy dragon-language, too. It's easy, don't worry. (And Connor will translate every time a new word appears.)

Reviews would be appreciated, especially if you see any errors! Enjoy!

* * *

Altair hadn't expected the beast to be so warm when he had settled himself in, with Ratohnhaké:ton sitting behind him. The older man had secured Altair in with belts attached to the saddle and grabbed the reins. They didn't lead into the beast's mouth such as a horse's reins did, but rather under the jaw and up onto its horns. Ratohnhaké:ton assured Altair that the beast would not be hurt by this, and would be perfectly fine.

Altair had never been off the ground before, so when Ratohnhaké:ton shouted, "Darak, unla!" and the beast had surged upwards, he let out a shrill screech. Ratohnhaké:ton laughed at that, his grip on the reins tightening.  
"Are you alright, little one?" He said. Altair nodded in response.

Ratohnhaké:ton tugged on the reins, shouting again in words Altair did not understand. Altair turned his head to look up at the man, curious. "What did you tell it, sir?"  
"Oh. You do not speak my toungue," Ratohnhaké:ton said, "Well, Darak is what we call the creatures in our language, the language we teach them their commands in. Darak would roughly translate to _scaled-bird_ in your language, or, dragon." He paused for a long moment. "Unla means flight, or in this case, up."

The boy nodded again, hanging onto the saddle as best he could. Ratohnhaké:ton tugged the reins to the side, causing the dragon to swerve and begin heading toward the structure on the horizon - the one Al Mualim had warned Altair of. To be honest, Altair was shaking in his seat, terrified of what was to come. Was he to be fed to the beasts? Used as target practice? Ratohnhaké:ton felt his quaking and pulled the reins into one hand, putting a hand on Altair's shoulder. "Be calm, young one. Flight is not so terrifying once you get used to it."

They flew for what seemed like hours to Altair, who peered over the side of Okwaho's body to get a glimpse at the ground. They were so high up that the shadow upon the ground was the size of Altair's index finger, and he smiled. It was exciting, even if the feeling of being so high up made his stomach feel slightly upset.

Ratohnhaké:ton was silent for the majority of the flight, until they were above the structure Altair had seen from so far away. It was composed of many buildings and floors, with a courtyard-like place in the center. When Okwaho flew lower, Altair could see that there were large stable-like structures in the courtyard, which was very expansive - almost like a training ground. The stables had canvases pulled over some of them to be makeshift roofs, while the rest were uncovered and had pits of sand in them.

The older man guided Okwaho to land near one of the larger stables, feeling a jolt when the beast's claws made contact with the ground. Ratohnhaké:ton unbuckled the straps of the saddle and jumped off of the dragon's back, holding his arms out to grab Altair. The boy hesitated, then clung to Ratohnhaké:ton as he was pulled down. His feet touched the ground and he swayed for a few moments, shaking his head. The darker-skinned man laughed in front of him. "You will get used to the feeling, child. Tell me, what is your name?"

Altair stayed silent for a moment, then looked up. "My name is Altair. I don't know the rest of my name because I never had a real family."  
Ratohnhaké:ton frowned, patting Altair on the head. "Well, Altair," He said, his accent making the name sound strange, "You will have a very large family, here. We are all brothers and sisters in this area."

Okwaho made his way into the stable, where a boy around Altair's age was waiting. He shared Ratohnhaké:ton's skintone, but his hair was a deep brown, kept in a short ponytail. He grasped the saddle's straps and pulled, allowing the piece of equipment to fall away. He then pulled it to the wall and strung it up, and Okwaho let out a pleased grumble. The beast then turned and curled himself into the sands, pleased with the relaxing warmth emanating from them.

Ratohnhaké:ton smiled at the boy in the stable, who came running forward. He stood a head taller than Altair, and it was now evident that he was slightly older. "This is Ezio," The man explained, "He can teach you what you need to know for the time being. For the most part, I'll be your mentor, however."

Altair nodded and looked to Ezio as Ratohnhaké:ton left. Ezio smiled. "Your name is?" He asked.

"Altair," He said, looking up at Ezio. Ezio nodded.  
"Great to meet you. Ratohnhaké:ton is the nicest rider here, you know. You got lucky."

Altair tilted his head. "What do you mean? Are the people here... mean?"

Ezio laughed. "Not so much mean as hard-working. Desmond got stuck with Clay as a teacher," he said. "That guy is _mental._" He put a finger to his temple and made a circular motion mockingly. "He acts like his dragon can talk to him."

They stood around for a moment longer before Ezio pointed in the direction of one of the buildings. "Let's get you a change of clothes and some food before anything else, huh? You must be starving."

Altair nodded quickly, following along as Ezio lead the way to the building, where Altair saw many boys and girls his age, older, and younger milling about. Ezio weaved about between the people, leading Altair to a room full of cloth and linens. The older boy shuffled through some of the clothing on the shelves, pulling out clothing similar to his own - a short-sleeved tunic and loose shorts. He handed them to Altair, then grabbed some sandals from a drawer and handed those over, as well. "Those could come in handy the first few times you step into the sands with the dragons. The sands in there are much hotter than the ones in the desert - we have to keep them hot for the dragons to survive."

Altair took the clothing and sandals, standing awkwardly for a moment before Ezio laughed. "You probably want some privacy. I'll be just out the door, come on out when you're done - you can leave your current clothes in the hamper."

Ezio turned and left the room, and Altair changed as quickly as he could. The clothing felt clean and comfortable against his skin, unlike what he wore when he was with Al Mualim.  
'_That's right,' _He thought, '_I won't be going back. I'm free from that man.'_

He left the room quickly after tossing his clothes away and slipping the sandals on his feet, and followed Ezio to the dining hall. They sat at a large table that was almost empty, but full of breads and cheese and dried meats. Ezio laughed when Altair dug right in, providing him with a large cup of water. Altair ate quickly, barely tasting the food as he chewed and swallowed.

Ezio grinned. "You must not have eaten well before, did you?" He said, "Trust me, here, we eat great. We all have to keep our strength up for our jobs. So," he grabbed a piece of dried meat, biting a chunk off and chewing, "Be sure to eat the meat here, too. You'll need it."

Altair grabbed a piece and chewed, contemplating what this life had in store for him.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Good food, kind people, a home, friends, and clean clothes. Sure, there would be hard work, but...

It would be worth it, he was sure.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE. I feel like it's so short... (Because it is. Eep.)

I just want to get a little advancement in here. xD Actual plotline coming up next chapter!

* * *

Altair's first few days of work had been tiring, but exciting nonetheless: he'd become accustomed to standing in the hot pits of sand with Okwaho and and strapping his saddle on - it was difficult at first, but after Ratohnhaké:ton had showed him how the straps clicked and buckled and tightened, Altair got the hang of it.

He had been introduced to some of the other Riders and dragons - there wa Gilberto, a tall, black-haired man with his apprentice, Niccolo, and his dragon, Volpe. Volpe was a sleek, gold, dragoness with piercing violet eyes. She made such curious sounds when she was pet, and Gilberto assured Altair that she enjoyed the attention.  
Altair had then met Clay, the man deemed "insane" by the rest of the apprentices, and Altair could see why. His dragon, Lucy, was a beautiful creature, but Clay seemed to think she could speak to him. He'd sat around the entire time with his ear pressed against Lucy's snout, and Desmond had rolled his eyes and left.

Then there was Yusuf. He was a cheerful man with a dragon to match - her name was Azize. Yusuf's black hair matched his dragon's color perfectly, but that didn't stop the two from being the most cheerful double in the complex. Azize's happy grumbles could be heard throughout the building when Yusuf played with her, oftentimes wrestling her legs. His apprentice, Kadar, thought it was entertaining to watch.

Then, Altair had met the first female Rider he'd seen - Rebecca. She was a strong woman, even if her looks didn't give it away. Her dragon was named Kitty, and her apprentice was a grouchy man named Shaun. There weren't any eggs left to hatch, so Shaun was left to care for Rebecca's dragon.

There was a lot of take care of in the complex - the dragons needed to be cared for, clothes had to be cleaned, pens scrubbed, beds made, and meals eaten. Altair was quite enjoying his time in his new home - and Ratohnhaké:ton seemed to enjoy having him around. During the day when the dragons slept peacefully in the warm sun, Ratohnhaké:ton would take Altair out into the courtyard. He would then give Altair a mock sword made from wood, grab one of his own, and begin showing the younger boy the basics of swordplay.

A sweep under the feet at one point and Altair was on the ground, rubbing his side. Ratohnhaké:ton had laughed, catching the attention of some of the other Riders. Leonardo, a tall blonde rider, had noticed first. He'd chuckled softly, shaking his head.

Altair met up with him later - or rather, he had been meeting with Ezio, and Leonardo had _happened _to come by. It was apparent that the older man had a friendship with Ezio, even if they were mentor and student. Altair poked his head up slightly, looking at Leonardo.  
"Why did you laugh at the swordfighting earlier, sir?" He tacked the last word on at the last second, accustomed to addessing those above him as such.

Leonardo laughed. "I'm not a fighting rider. I think it's funny to watch them, though." He said.

Altair tilted his head, and Ezio elaborated: "Leonardo is going to become a flight teacher. However, Salai needs to grow up a bit before she can be flown."  
Leonardo nodded in affirmation.  
"I love the animals, but I can't stand to see them in battle," Leonardo said, "So, I decided I'd become a teacher. I very much prefer it."

Altair thought for a long moment, then sighed. "Why do you make them fight?"  
There was a long pause of silence, and Ezio cleared his throat. "There are always battles going on, Altair. It's... hard to explain."

Altair didn't ask to elaborate.

Later in the evening, Altair lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his room. He shared it with Ezio, but the elder boy had gone out with some of the other, older apprentices to have some fun. That probably meant alcohol, which Altair was not allowed to have. It made sense, since a young boy, alcohol, and pens of dragons would not be a good mix.

He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. He loved his new life, here with the other apprentices, Ratohnhaké:ton, Leonardo...


End file.
